The Canadian National Sporting Clays Championship
- Thread starter NZClaybuster
- Start date
I don't want to be a wet blanket. But one of the things that always occurs to me when reading a discussion like this is the ugly underlying fact that our sport is generally losing members and there are few initiatives that I have seen that would replace them, especially with young people. As a result, there is an underlying competition for participation of present shooters, e.g. if one is dedicated to shooting trap, one isn't dedicated to shooting sporting clays etc. Another thing that is apparent is that there is an enormous competition for young people's time and in sports that have more general social support, e.g. hockey, basketball, etc. While bringing sports like FITASC in or having a national sporting clays association seem like worthy pursuits to me, they will likely do very little to change this. Sadly, I have believed for some time that our sport will likely end up, probably is now, a small sport without the infrastructure to support much of anything, including international competition of any kind, except by some form of elite. We simply don't have the large numbers of shooters at home to support many forms of shooting in any other way and we don't have the infrastructure or the collective will to change this. In fact, we probably don't know how and there appears to be too much against us. I hope this isn't true, but I'm afraid it is. It's good that people are enjoying FITASC or sporting clays or whatever, but hard to take large dreams seriously when there is a massive underlying problem with infrastructure in the shooting sports staring us right in the face and no obvious way of dealing with it.
I personaly admire and respect very much Doug. He has done so much for clay shooting in the West. It is very unfortunate for Canada, that shooting is very regional and that there is and was much distate for certain regions. My experience in the past twenty plus years of clay shooting is, that each area is a little elitists. This is far different in Europe. I have many friends from various countries that shoot FITASC that are farmers, gardenners, electricians and of all types of work or retired. The difference in Europe is mainly that when you shoot a Grand Prix, an European Championship or the World, there is no class! Everyone has a chance to shoot with the best of the best for the thrill of being there. There is only 10 or so that can win or place, the rest are there for the targets and ambiance! The elitist attitude only exists in NA. It is like going to the Masters of golf and having the opertunnity of playing with Tiger or Weir on the same golf course. That is what FITASC promotes. That is why none of the games that FITASC has will EVER be in the Olympics. One does not need to qualify, to shoot! FITASC gave the Olympics (ISU) skeet and trap. It will never do that again, or so we hope. This is the present consensus among member countries.
I personnaly would rather spend my money shooting outside of NA than filling NSCAs coffers. It usualy costs me less to shoot in Europe than in the US or even Canada. Ther was a record of Americans this year at teh World. Just about everyine agreed that if there is another major shoot in Europe (there is the World at Orville near Amiens in 2011) they will all go as it is much better bangs for the buck! Airfare to Europe is genraly cheaper than flying across NA. Hotels are generaly cheaper also. I can eat for less at lunch and better also!
For those that are interested, I will have info about the World and Amiens in the coming weeks in our blog:
http://fitaschunting.proboards.com/
I will provide hotel, car rental etc information. I have been there several times. The shooting grounds have very good terrain and the Euro had around 1200 shooters.
Regrads,
Henry
I personnaly would rather spend my money shooting outside of NA than filling NSCAs coffers. It usualy costs me less to shoot in Europe than in the US or even Canada. Ther was a record of Americans this year at teh World. Just about everyine agreed that if there is another major shoot in Europe (there is the World at Orville near Amiens in 2011) they will all go as it is much better bangs for the buck! Airfare to Europe is genraly cheaper than flying across NA. Hotels are generaly cheaper also. I can eat for less at lunch and better also!
For those that are interested, I will have info about the World and Amiens in the coming weeks in our blog:
http://fitaschunting.proboards.com/
I will provide hotel, car rental etc information. I have been there several times. The shooting grounds have very good terrain and the Euro had around 1200 shooters.
Regrads,
Henry
Fred,
You are never a wet blanket. I think in a round about way you hit the nail on the head . In my previous life I used to shoot registered trap. When I first tried sporting clays it was like a breath of fresh air. At the club where I shot there seemed to be a fun shoot about every second weekend. 50 targets. Classed on known ability. Affordable! And after the shoot you could go around again for practice rates. Then along came the sporting clays association and registered shoots. At first I thought it was my age, but 200 targets seemed to be a bit of an ordeal. I thought the price for most shoots was a bit much. Lots of #####ing about target presentations mixed with politics. Not as much fun! It was not until a few of my friends boycotted a certain shoot because of an outrageous entry fee, that I had my epiphany. We took our guns and money and went to another sporting range and shot a couple hundred targets just for fun. Not only did we have money left at the end of the day, we had fun and we had hours left at the end of the day to spend with family at home. Why do I shoot registered? Because I like to shoot with others who like to shoot! A registered shoot at a certain club costs about $145.00 including lunch. The next day one can shoot the same course for $80.00. Both can be done with others who like to shoot. The non registered one is a way more fun and more affordable. My goal for next year, God willing, is to shoot more and have more fun shooting. I will plan to attend less registered events. Just my opinion, but I think that the registered shooting organizations need shooters more than shooter need registered events.
You are never a wet blanket. I think in a round about way you hit the nail on the head . In my previous life I used to shoot registered trap. When I first tried sporting clays it was like a breath of fresh air. At the club where I shot there seemed to be a fun shoot about every second weekend. 50 targets. Classed on known ability. Affordable! And after the shoot you could go around again for practice rates. Then along came the sporting clays association and registered shoots. At first I thought it was my age, but 200 targets seemed to be a bit of an ordeal. I thought the price for most shoots was a bit much. Lots of #####ing about target presentations mixed with politics. Not as much fun! It was not until a few of my friends boycotted a certain shoot because of an outrageous entry fee, that I had my epiphany. We took our guns and money and went to another sporting range and shot a couple hundred targets just for fun. Not only did we have money left at the end of the day, we had fun and we had hours left at the end of the day to spend with family at home. Why do I shoot registered? Because I like to shoot with others who like to shoot! A registered shoot at a certain club costs about $145.00 including lunch. The next day one can shoot the same course for $80.00. Both can be done with others who like to shoot. The non registered one is a way more fun and more affordable. My goal for next year, God willing, is to shoot more and have more fun shooting. I will plan to attend less registered events. Just my opinion, but I think that the registered shooting organizations need shooters more than shooter need registered events.
